Rope-measuring apparatus.



T. G. BOUNDS. ROPE MEASURING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1913 1,1 20, 126.

2 8H IITS-SHIIET1.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

purrnp STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. BOUNDS, 0F WAI'IALAK, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JAMES R. BOUIIIJS, 0F WAIIALAK, MISSISSIPPI.

ROPE-MEASURING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. BOUNDS, citizen of the United States, residing at Wahalak, in the county of Kemper and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope-Measuring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for measuring rope or similar merchandise and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive mechanism by which a storekeeper may rapidly and accurately measure off a length of rope desired by a customer without the necessity of applying a scale d1- reetly to the rope.

The invention also has for its ob1ect the provision of means whereby a coil of rope may be placed in position and supported within the apparatus whether the rope is supplied by the manufacturer w th or without a core piece and the invention also has for its object the provision of means whereby the end of the rope-may be held against Withdrawal and in position to be easily grasped by the salesman when supplying a second customer.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the registering mechanism may be effectually held in operative position at all times, and finally the ob]ect of the invention is to improve generally the construction and arrangement of the parts of a rope measuring apparatus to the end that the durability and et ciency of the same may be increased.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter first fully described in detail and the novel features will then subsequently be particularly pointed out in the claim following the description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus, showing the same in the position in which it will ordinarily be placed for use; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3'-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a slight modification.

In carrying out my invention I employ a supporting frame which may be of any convenient or preferred construction and is illustrated as comprising a pair of spaced standards or back plates 1 which are adapted to be secured to the wall of a store-room or any other fixed support and are maintained in the proper spaced relation by a cross bar 2. From the said standards proect supporting arms 3 which are connected to the standards by braces 4: whereby breaking of the arms, under the weight imposed upon them, will be prevented. In the upper edges of the said arms, near the outer ends thereof, are notches 5 adapted to receive trunnions or pins 6 at the ends of a core block or roller 7. When a coil of rope is supplied upon a spool or core piece by the manufacturer, the roller or core .block 7 will be inserted through the said core piece and the pins or trunnions 6 then engaged in the notches 5 so that the coil of rope will be supported between the arms 3. If, however,

the maker of the rope furnishes it in a loose coil without a core piece, I employ the supplemental core member 8 which is in the form of a. tube having an inner diameter which will permit it to fit easily upon the core block 7 and at the same time be held against movement independently of the core block. While I have illustrated these members 7 and 8 as angular in end view or cross section, it will be understood, of course, that the particular shape is entirely immaterial.

To the lower ends of the standards 1 I secure a back plate 9 from which extends a shelf 10 and upon the said shelf I erect a cross plate 11 in advance of the back plate 9 and also provide a small standard or other support 12. This support or standard 12 is in advance of the cross plate 11 and I have illustrated a similar support 1.3 as provided immediately adjacent the said cross plate 11, but it will be understood of course that this inner support 13 may be dispensed with. A dial or indicator plate 14 is secured to the front face of the support 12 and upon the. front face of this indicator plate or dial are a series of graduations 15 by which the length of rope drawn from the coil may be indicated.

An indicator shaft 16 is journaled near its front end in the front standard or support 12 and a pointer or indicator 17 is fixed upon the extremity of the said shaft so as ,to play in front of the dial 14. The inner or rear end of this shaft plays in a vertical slot 18 formed in the inner support 13 and a spring 19 is secured to the shelf 10 and engaged over the said shaft so that it tends to draw the shaft to the bottom of the said r the core members 7 wheel and has one end journaled in aside 7 support 22, erected upon the shelf 10 at one side of the same, and is ,journaled atlitsopposite end in spaced standards or plates 23 which form a guide chamber for the free end of the rope 24. A grooved pulley is fixed upon the shaft 21 between these plates or standards 28 and the rope passes over the said pulley, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 and as will be readily understood.

From the rotary support, furnished by and 8, the rope passes behind and. under a spool or guide roller 26 which is journaled in suitable supports, carried by the back plate 9 and extending to the cross plate 11 so-as toimpart rigidity to the supporting structure, and from the said guide roller or spool 26 the rope passes between the plates or supports 23 and over the pulley 25, as shown. To hold the rope in proper engagement with the grooved pulley or roller 25 and to prevent it slipping back after a sale has been made, I provide a plunger 27 which is; mounted vertically and slidably between the side plates 23 and carries a presser roller 28 at its lower end. This plunger has its upper end fitted in a top plate 29 secured upon' and extending over the side plates 23 so'that the plunger will be prevented from vibrating within the casing consisting of the said plates 23 and will be maintained directly over the roller 25. A spring 30 is coiled around the upper portion of the plunger and bears against the under side of the top plate 29 and against a suitable stop 31 on the plunger so as to hold the plunger normally depressed, whercby the roller 28, at; the lower end thereof, will' bear upon the rope. To permit'the plunger to be elevated when necessary to release the rope, a handle or lever arm 32 is pivoted between the side plates 23 near the front edges thereof and has its front end projecting forwardly beyond the said side plates and its innerend connected with the plunger. By depressing the front end. of this handle or lever, the plunger will be lifted against the tension of the spring 30 so that the roller 28 will be released from the rope and the rope may then be'drawn out to any desiredextent.

It is thought that the operation and advantages of the apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing description, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings. Rope, as is well known, is supplied by rope makers in large roils which are generally mounted upon a reel and when a sale is to be made the storekeeper or salesman is required to draw off a length of the rope from. the coil and can only determine is installed.

when the desired quantity has been drawn from the reel by measuring the same with a tape measure or other similar scale. This operation is slow and laborious and will not be necessary where my improved appau-uzus In using-my device, the core members and 8, or the core member 7, isinserted through the center of the coil of rope and is then engaged in the notches 5 in the supporting arms 3 so that the rope'will be sup ported in an accessible position, while at the same time it will not be in rear of and then under the guide roller 26 and is then inserted between the side plates 23 and the rollers 25 and 28, the roller 28 being held the handle 32, as will be readily understood. Whenthe end of the rope has been fed beyond. the front edges of the side plates 23, the lever 32 is-released and the end of the rope will then be clamped between the rollers 25 and 28. When a sale is to be made, the free end of the rope is grasped and the rope is then simply drawn out until the indicator 17 is moved to that numeral upon the dial 14 which will indicate that the desired length of rope has been drawn out.

f course, indicator willbe moved to numerals indicating exactlythe length of rope drawn out,

that is to say, if ten feet of rope are'wanted,"

and no previous sales have been made, the indicator will be at zero and when it reaches 10, they salesman will stop drawing rope from the apparatus and will cut-off the length drawn out. If the next sale is to be of fifteen feet of rope, the salesman will first note the position of the indicator, which will then be at 10 and by then adding the desired quantity (15) to the numeral at the end ofthe indicator will know that be should continue drawing rope until the indicator reaches the number 25. As the rope is drawn from the device'its frictional engagement, which is enhanced and positively maintained by the action of the plunger 27, will cause the roller25' and upon which it is fixed, to rotate and the roe tation of the shaft 21 will, of course, actuate the worm wheel 20 and the indicator shaft 16 so that the indicator will be positively moved in. front of the dial 14 as longas rope is being drawn from the device.

In Fig. 4 I have shown an arrangement which will permit thepointer to be returned to zero after eachsale, if desired. In this form of the device, the pointer 40 is loosely mounted on the indicator shaft which is provided with a rib or flange 41 between the pointer and the dial. A spring42 is coiled around the end of the shaft and bears upon the pointer so as to hold it normally in fr1ctional' engagement with the rib 41 using floor 7 space. The free end of the rope 1s carried raised by manipulating when the first 'sale is made, the

the shaft 21 whereby, when the shaft rotates, the pointer will move over the dial but it may be moved manually about the shaft as a center so as to be returned to the zero position. The spring is retained on the shaft and adjusted to proper tension by a nut 43 threaded on the end of the shaft, as shown and as will be readily understood.

It will be readily noted that my device is exceedingly simple in the construction and arrangement of its parts and that all the moving parts are protected against chance blows which might injure them to such an extent as to render the apparatus in operative. The rope may be easily placed in position to be reached and drawn from the apparatus and will be supported in such a manner that it will need no attention, except to supply customers and to replenish the stock when the rope carried by the core has been exhausted. While I have illustrated the counting mechanism as disposed below the supportlng members, it W111 be understood, of course, that the device might be inverted without involving any substantial departure from the invention and other minor changes may be made without depart- Goples of this patent may be ing from the scope of the invention as the same is defined in the following claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

An apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a frame, a core rotatably mounted thereon, a housing on the frame below the core, a worm-shaft mounted on the frame and having one end extending into said housing, a plunger mounted in said housing and bearing upon the rope passing from the core to hold the same in frictional engagement with the worm-shaft, means for releasing the plunger, an indicator shaft mounted in the frame above the wormshaft, a worm-wheel on the indicator shaft meshing with the worm-shaft, and a spring secured on the frame and connected to the indicator shaft to hold the worm-wheel down in mesh with the worm-shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

L. L. Comm, J. L. MINOR.

obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latenta.

Washington, D. O." 

